B Is for Bigfoot By: Jim Butcher Series: The Dresden Files Book Number: 2.5 Star Rating:

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Synopsis

Harry Dresden, wizard and private investigator, is called by a potential client and asked to meet him in the woods. Harry arrives for the meeting to discover the person who has hired him is a bigfoot named River Shoulders for short. The creature is a highly intelligent, human-like being who wants Harry to find out what's happening with his son, Irwin, a half-human/half-bigfoot who lives with his human mother in Chicago. The mother tells Harry that her son is coming home from school with strange injuries. It doesn't take but a moment for Harry to figure out it is the work of bullies. River Shoulders pulls some strings to get Harry hired as a temporary janitor at the school, where he is able to keep an eye on his young charge and try to get him to open up about his tormentors. However, they too have someone looking out for them, a supernatural being who's determined to keep Harry from rescuing the boy he was sent to watch over. Can Harry help Irwin find his voice before the bullies take things too far?

Review

B Is for Bigfoot is a cute short story in the Dresden Files series. Harry is hired by a bigfoot to find out what's happening with his son at school and why he's coming home with injuries. The son, Irwin, is a bigfoot/human hybrid (aka scion) who lives with his human mother and doesn't know about his father. Of course, the dastardly bullies are otherworldly as well, making things a little more challenging for our intrepid investigator.

I really enjoyed this novella and think the bullying theme is one to which kids and teens will be able to strongly relate. Even though Irwin is much larger than his tormentors, he's a shy, sweet kid who doesn't want to hurt anybody. I liked how Harry assisted him in finding a solution that helped him to stand up for himself but didn't involve violence. Much like in Restoration of Faith, one of the early shorts in the series, Harry shows his big heart toward kids. Not to mention, he can relate to the boy on a deeper level, because he used to be just like Irwin when he was a kid. I loved all the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy references. Even though I haven't read the books yet, my husband is a big fan, so I understood all the jokes. Unlike the other Dresden Files books, this one was pretty clean in deference to its younger audience. There were only one or two mild profanities and no other objectionable content unless the idea of a human and a bigfoot producing a child is bothersome. However, the bigfoot in this story, while still quite hairy, is portrayed as a highly intelligent, humanoid being. Overall, I found B Is for Bigfoot to be a fun read that was an enjoyable way to spend about an hour of my reading time. B Is for Bigfoot can be found in the anthology Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron.

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Jim Butcher